Children struggle with shame and alienation when they are forced to repeat a grade in school. (Maskot via Getty Images)
For decades, schools have allowed children to advance to the next grade even when they’re not reading at grade level . But more and more states are adopting policies to hold students back if they fail standardized tests in reading.
As of now, 26 states have such policies , compared with just 18 states five years ago. This month, Maryland lawmakers will consider their own policy to hold back third graders who struggle with reading, while allowing parents to opt out as long as they agree to get their child extra reading support.
The looming decision in Maryland, where 69 percent of students are not reading at grade level , has reignited a century-long debate about the consequences of “flunking” students. Based on what the research shows, we believe parents and guardians would be wise to explore their options to opt out of the retention policy. We say this because of what we know to be the negative effects associated with forcing a child to repeat a grade.